livingartifact (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
livingartifact) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2017-09-06 12:21 am
livingartifact) wrote in fandomhigh2017-09-06 12:21 am
Entry tags:
Introduction to Earth Zoology, Wednesday, period 1
The classroom appeared much the same as it had last week, albeit much more dimly lit, and with the addition of two new chairs at the table, one extra large and one resembling a fancy barstool, extra-high with an almost ladder-like arrangement of horizontal supports. There were also a half dozen or so rolling step stools of varying heights.
Jenkins was glad to see his students were willing to assist each other when necessary, but was chagrined that such assistance had been required.
The chalkboard had been draped with a white cloth, and an old fashioned slide projector sat in the center of the table. A few warm, banker's lamps were scattered along the table for those who wished to take notes during the lecture.
"Welcome back," Jenkins greeted the students. "I had originally planned this week to teach you about the Central American creature known as 'el chupacabra', but I've heard that . . . other . . . class has already tackled it. And I would hate to be thought of as repetitive. Fortunately I was able to pull a few last minute strings — an extra goat, primarily, to keep the beasts occupied — and called in a very old favor, and as such am able to present to you instead: Nessiteras rhombopteryx. Or as she is much better known: the Loch Ness Monster." Jenkins hit the button on his remote for the projector, and a title card bearing both names for the creature appeared. He smirked faintly at the students. "Her friends and fans refer to her as 'Nessie'.
"Loch Ness is the name of a large, freshwater lake located here." He clicked his remote, switching rapidly through a succession of slides that zeroed in from an overview of the entire Earth to a close up satellite photo of the Loch in question. "It is a region of the Earth quite well known for its connection to magic and the supernatural, primarily because those who conquered the land and its inhabitants found it strange and off-putting, and then went on to conquer most of the rest of the world at one time or another. That said, the British Isles do have a rather large concentration of ley lines. . . . But I digress."
He hit the button again, this time bringing up a rather vicious looking picture. "Popular theory holds that Nessie is a remnant of the prehistoric Earth species, Elasmosaurus. Of course, popular theory also holds that she doesn't exist, so let that be a lesson in taking popular theory for granted. Those of you from similar Earth-like worlds may be familiar with this image."
He hit the button his remote again, and let out a long suffering sigh at the picture that came up. "It would seem my colleague from home has decided to have a bit of fun with us. Pay this no mind."
He clicked the slide over again, revealing the classic photo of Nessie. "As I was saying, you may well be more familiar with this image, which was of course famously debunked when the photographer came forward after more than fifty years and revealed it as a hoax." Jenkins turned to the class again. "I assure you, Nessie had that situation well in hand. She rather enjoys playing with the nosy tourists. Dinosaurian wiliness and all that." When he next clicked his remote, the slide projector switched off entirely, plunging the room into dimness. "Nessie is not in fact an Elasmosaurus, of course. They died off in the K-T extinction some 65 million years ago. She is however, a distant and direct descendent of those creatures, of a hardy and extraordinarily long-lived stock that has dwelt in the deep, frigid waters of the loch for millenia, since the last glaciers left the island about ten thousand years ago. She lays an egg only once every hundred years, which I hope you will all take into account as you consider your luck to have signed up for this class."
One last click of that remote and the lights in the room came up in full. Jenkins walked to one of the side tables, removing a sheet from what was revealed to be a large glass aquarium in which a football-sized, long necked animal swam about in idle circles, gazing curiously out at the students.
"This is Nessie's most recent progeny, on loan to us from the baby's current foster mother, Ezekiel Jones. I'm afraid she's already eaten all the minnows I provided for her to snack on, but she is quite gregarious, and will interact with you quite happily regardless. I only ask that you look without touching, and please don't tap on the glass. That's not just a line, it actually causes quite a disturbance in the water, and may give the poor critter indigestion. You do not want to see a Loch Ness Monster lose her minnows."
Jenkins was glad to see his students were willing to assist each other when necessary, but was chagrined that such assistance had been required.
The chalkboard had been draped with a white cloth, and an old fashioned slide projector sat in the center of the table. A few warm, banker's lamps were scattered along the table for those who wished to take notes during the lecture.
"Welcome back," Jenkins greeted the students. "I had originally planned this week to teach you about the Central American creature known as 'el chupacabra', but I've heard that . . . other . . . class has already tackled it. And I would hate to be thought of as repetitive. Fortunately I was able to pull a few last minute strings — an extra goat, primarily, to keep the beasts occupied — and called in a very old favor, and as such am able to present to you instead: Nessiteras rhombopteryx. Or as she is much better known: the Loch Ness Monster." Jenkins hit the button on his remote for the projector, and a title card bearing both names for the creature appeared. He smirked faintly at the students. "Her friends and fans refer to her as 'Nessie'.
"Loch Ness is the name of a large, freshwater lake located here." He clicked his remote, switching rapidly through a succession of slides that zeroed in from an overview of the entire Earth to a close up satellite photo of the Loch in question. "It is a region of the Earth quite well known for its connection to magic and the supernatural, primarily because those who conquered the land and its inhabitants found it strange and off-putting, and then went on to conquer most of the rest of the world at one time or another. That said, the British Isles do have a rather large concentration of ley lines. . . . But I digress."
He hit the button again, this time bringing up a rather vicious looking picture. "Popular theory holds that Nessie is a remnant of the prehistoric Earth species, Elasmosaurus. Of course, popular theory also holds that she doesn't exist, so let that be a lesson in taking popular theory for granted. Those of you from similar Earth-like worlds may be familiar with this image."
He hit the button his remote again, and let out a long suffering sigh at the picture that came up. "It would seem my colleague from home has decided to have a bit of fun with us. Pay this no mind."
He clicked the slide over again, revealing the classic photo of Nessie. "As I was saying, you may well be more familiar with this image, which was of course famously debunked when the photographer came forward after more than fifty years and revealed it as a hoax." Jenkins turned to the class again. "I assure you, Nessie had that situation well in hand. She rather enjoys playing with the nosy tourists. Dinosaurian wiliness and all that." When he next clicked his remote, the slide projector switched off entirely, plunging the room into dimness. "Nessie is not in fact an Elasmosaurus, of course. They died off in the K-T extinction some 65 million years ago. She is however, a distant and direct descendent of those creatures, of a hardy and extraordinarily long-lived stock that has dwelt in the deep, frigid waters of the loch for millenia, since the last glaciers left the island about ten thousand years ago. She lays an egg only once every hundred years, which I hope you will all take into account as you consider your luck to have signed up for this class."
One last click of that remote and the lights in the room came up in full. Jenkins walked to one of the side tables, removing a sheet from what was revealed to be a large glass aquarium in which a football-sized, long necked animal swam about in idle circles, gazing curiously out at the students.
"This is Nessie's most recent progeny, on loan to us from the baby's current foster mother, Ezekiel Jones. I'm afraid she's already eaten all the minnows I provided for her to snack on, but she is quite gregarious, and will interact with you quite happily regardless. I only ask that you look without touching, and please don't tap on the glass. That's not just a line, it actually causes quite a disturbance in the water, and may give the poor critter indigestion. You do not want to see a Loch Ness Monster lose her minnows."